Thesis: Before the Taliban took control, women had been receiving rights from the government powers in Afghanistan, however when the Taliban came into existence, the idea of having those rights started to disappear through acts of violence.
Before the Taliban Takeover
Women, before the Taliban took over, were slowly gaining equality with their male counterparts.
Abdur Rahman Khan - allowed women marriage registration, the right to refrain from marrying their closest male relative, and the choice to stay or leave their husband.
King Amanullah - established girl schools, and allowed women to walk in public without covering their faces.
Mohammed Zahir Shah - allowed women to take important jobs like working in hospitals and being teachers; they were also allowed to drive/travel.
Mohammed Daoud - still allowed women to show their face in public.
Soviet Union in control - gave women the same job opportunities as men, with this change, the working women made up half the labor force.
Education Before Taliban Takeover (1970-1990) - In the early twentieth century, education for women was extremely rare, due to the lack of schools for girls. Occasionally girls were able to receive an education on the primary level but never moved past the secondary level. During Zahir Shah's reign, education for women became a priority and young girls began to go to schools. At these schools, girls were taught discipline, new technologies, ideas, and socialization in society.
Kabul University was opened to girls in 1947 and by 1973 there was an estimated 150,000 girls in schools across Afghanistan.
Marriage at a young age added to the high drop out rate, but more and more girls were entering professions that were once viewed as only being for men.
After the Soviet Union fell from power in 1992, the Taliban had evolved and came into power making women's rights decrease with the use of violence
The Taliban to Today (1996-Present)
When the Taliban took control, they just hammered women with laws and rules to follow. Women lost their education and jobs. Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places to be a woman.
Restrictions included:
1- Complete ban on women's work outside the home, which also applies to female teachers, engineers and most professionals. Only a few female doctors and nurses are allowed to work in some hospitals in Kabul.
2- Complete ban on women's activity outside the home unless accompanied by a mahram(close male relative such as a father, brother or husband).
3- Ban on women dealing with male shopkeepers.
4- Ban on women being treated by male doctors.
5- Ban on women studying at schools, universities or any other educational institution. (Taliban have converted girls' schools into religious seminaries.)
6- Requirement that women wear a long veil (Burqa), which covers them from head to toe.
7- Whipping, beating and verbal abuse of women not clothed in accordance with Taliban rules, or of women unaccompanied by a mahram.
8- Whipping of women in public for having non-covered ankles.
9- Public stoning of women accused of having sex outside marriage. (A number of lovers are stoned to death under this rule).
10- Ban on the use of cosmetics. (Many women with painted nails have had fingers cut off).
11- Ban on women talking or shaking hands with non-mahrammales.
12- Ban on women laughing loudly. (No stranger should hear a woman's voice).
13- Ban on women wearing high heel shoes, which would produce sound while walking. (A man must not hear a woman's footsteps lest it excite him)
14- Ban on women riding in a taxi without a mahram.
15- Ban on women's presence in radio, television or public gatherings of any kind.
16- Ban on women playing sports or entering a sport center or club.
17- Ban on women riding bicycles or motorcycles, even with their mahrams.
18- Ban on women's wearing brightly colored clothes. In Taliban terms, these are "sexually attracting colors."
19- Ban on women gathering for festive occasions such as the Eids, or for any recreational purpose.
20- Ban on women washing clothes next to rivers or in a public place.
21- Modification of all place names including the word "women." For example, "women's garden" has been renamed "spring garden".
22- Ban on women appearing on the balconies of their apartments or houses.
23- Compulsory painting of all windows, so women can not be seen from outside their homes.
24- Ban on male tailors taking women's measurements or sewing women's clothes.
25- Ban on female public baths.
26- Ban on males and females traveling on the same bus. Public buses have now been designated "males only" (or "females only").
27- Ban on flared (wide) pant-legs, even under a burqa.
28- Ban on the photographing or filming of women.
29- Ban on women's pictures printed in newspapers and books, or hung on the walls of houses and shops
Breaking any of these laws always ended in some sort of physical abuse. Public beatings were very popular, often times held in stadiums, as to show others what could be if they stepped out of line.
Fact: In 2009 a law was passed that legalizes the rape of a wife by her husband by not allowing her to refuse sex.
Education After Taliban Takeover (1996-Present) - After the takeover by the Taliban, women were forced into the home where they were to stay and be controlled by their husbands and fathers.
During the Taliban regime, many women who had previously been teachers, (who were fired), began to secretly give an education to young girls (as well as some boys) in their neighborhoods, teaching from ten to sixty children at a time. The homes of these women became community homes for students, and were entirely financed and managed by women.
Since women in Afganistan under the Taliban regime could not go to school, as of 2010, the number of women in secondary education in that country is only 5.8%.
Many women and children involved in teaching/learning were caught by the Taliban and persecuted, jailed, and tortured.
Bibi Aisha- 18 year old Afghani woman who attempted to run away from a bad marriage but was captured and punished by her husband. He cut her ears and nose off.
References to Kite Runner
1. The government powers in the "Before the Taliban" section were mentioned in the book. Rulers like Mohammed Zahir Shah, King Amanullah, The Soviet Union, Mohammed Daoud all either helped, or at least let women have their rights. 2. Amir's mother, Sofia Akrami, was an educated women that taught classic Farsi literature at the university and was the most respected, beautiful woman in Kabul. She also was of royal blood which adds to gain her respect. 3. Hassan's mother, Sanaubar, was forced to marry her second cousin Ali, at 19 years of age. Ali not only was older, but had a physical disability as well as a facial issue, unable to smile and his leg had been twisted from polio. As soon as Sanaubar had Hassan, she left because she wanted to get away from her traditional family. 4. Amir has his eye on Soraya, General Taheri's daughter. However, a man has to ask the parent's permission to date their daughter before they can chat together or at least have a chaperon present like Jamlia Taheri, the general's wife. THREE MOST IMPORTANT KEY POINTS
1. Women had more rights before the Taliban and were gaining a higher rank in society. 2. Since the Taliban took control to present day news, there has been a threat to women's rights, as well as, anyone who is a threat towards the Taliban. 3. Violence plays a important role for the Taliban's control of women's rights to education, marriage, public display, and their general life.
Thesis: Before the Taliban took control, women had been receiving rights from the government powers in Afghanistan, however when the Taliban came into existence, the idea of having those rights started to disappear through acts of violence.
Before the Taliban Takeover
Education Before Taliban Takeover (1970-1990)
- In the early twentieth century, education for women was extremely rare, due to the lack of schools for girls. Occasionally girls were able to receive an education on the primary level but never moved past the secondary level. During Zahir Shah's reign, education for women became a priority and young girls began to go to schools. At these schools, girls were taught discipline, new technologies, ideas, and socialization in society.
After the Soviet Union fell from power in 1992, the Taliban had evolved and came into power making women's rights decrease with the use of violence
The Taliban to Today (1996-Present)
When the Taliban took control, they just hammered women with laws and rules to follow. Women lost their education and jobs. Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places to be a woman.
Restrictions included:
1- Complete ban on women's work outside the home, which also applies to female teachers, engineers and most professionals. Only a few female doctors and nurses are allowed to work in some hospitals in Kabul.2- Complete ban on women's activity outside the home unless accompanied by a mahram(close male relative such as a father, brother or husband).
3- Ban on women dealing with male shopkeepers.
4- Ban on women being treated by male doctors.
5- Ban on women studying at schools, universities or any other educational institution. (Taliban have converted girls' schools into religious seminaries.)
6- Requirement that women wear a long veil (Burqa), which covers them from head to toe.
7- Whipping, beating and verbal abuse of women not clothed in accordance with Taliban rules, or of women unaccompanied by a mahram.8- Whipping of women in public for having non-covered ankles.
9- Public stoning of women accused of having sex outside marriage. (A number of lovers are stoned to death under this rule).
10- Ban on the use of cosmetics. (Many women with painted nails have had fingers cut off).
11- Ban on women talking or shaking hands with non-mahrammales.
12- Ban on women laughing loudly. (No stranger should hear a woman's voice).
13- Ban on women wearing high heel shoes, which would produce sound while walking. (A man must not hear a woman's footsteps lest it excite him)
14- Ban on women riding in a taxi without a mahram.
15- Ban on women's presence in radio, television or public gatherings of any kind.
16- Ban on women playing sports or entering a sport center or club.
17- Ban on women riding bicycles or motorcycles, even with their mahrams.
18- Ban on women's wearing brightly colored clothes. In Taliban terms, these are "sexually attracting colors."
19- Ban on women gathering for festive occasions such as the Eids, or for any recreational purpose.
20- Ban on women washing clothes next to rivers or in a public place.
21- Modification of all place names including the word "women." For example, "women's garden" has been renamed "spring garden".
22- Ban on women appearing on the balconies of their apartments or houses.
23- Compulsory painting of all windows, so women can not be seen from outside their homes.
24- Ban on male tailors taking women's measurements or sewing women's clothes.
25- Ban on female public baths.
26- Ban on males and females traveling on the same bus. Public buses have now been designated "males only" (or "females only").
27- Ban on flared (wide) pant-legs, even under a burqa.
28- Ban on the photographing or filming of women.
29- Ban on women's pictures printed in newspapers and books, or hung on the walls of houses and shops
Breaking any of these laws always ended in some sort of physical abuse. Public beatings were very popular, often times held in stadiums, as to show others what could be if they stepped out of line.
Fact: In 2009 a law was passed that legalizes the rape of a wife by her husband by not allowing her to refuse sex.
Education After Taliban Takeover (1996-Present)- After the takeover by the Taliban, women were forced into the home where they were to stay and be controlled by their husbands and fathers.
- During the Taliban regime, many women who had previously been teachers, (who were fired), began to secretly give an education to young girls (as well as some boys) in their neighborhoods, teaching from ten to sixty children at a time. The homes of these women became community homes for students, and were entirely financed and managed by women.
- Since women in Afganistan under the Taliban regime could not go to school, as of 2010, the number of women in secondary education in that country is only 5.8%.
- Many women and children involved in teaching/learning were caught by the Taliban and persecuted, jailed, and tortured.
Malala's Story :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_3Wk9R0-gg
Bibi Aisha- 18 year old Afghani woman who attempted to run away from a bad marriage but was captured and punished by her husband. He cut her ears and nose off.
References to Kite Runner
1. The government powers in the "Before the Taliban" section were mentioned in the book. Rulers like Mohammed Zahir Shah, King Amanullah, The Soviet Union, Mohammed Daoud all either helped, or at least let women have their rights.
2. Amir's mother, Sofia Akrami, was an educated women that taught classic Farsi literature at the university and was the most respected, beautiful woman in Kabul. She also was of royal blood which adds to gain her respect.
3. Hassan's mother, Sanaubar, was forced to marry her second cousin Ali, at 19 years of age. Ali not only was older, but had a physical disability as well as a facial issue, unable to smile and his leg had been twisted from polio. As soon as Sanaubar had Hassan, she left because she wanted to get away from her traditional family.
4. Amir has his eye on Soraya, General Taheri's daughter. However, a man has to ask the parent's permission to date their daughter before they can chat together or at least have a chaperon present like Jamlia Taheri, the general's wife.
THREE MOST IMPORTANT KEY POINTS
1. Women had more rights before the Taliban and were gaining a higher rank in society.
2. Since the Taliban took control to present day news, there has been a threat to women's rights, as well as, anyone who is a threat towards the Taliban.
3. Violence plays a important role for the Taliban's control of women's rights to education, marriage, public display, and their general life.
Sources:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/24/us/malala-cnn-most-intriguing-2012/index.html?iref=allsearchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_rights_in_Afghanistan#Education
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~macne20a/classweb/worldpolitics/finalpage3.html
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/afghanistanunveiled/women.html